Rabbit hunting doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s affordable, accessible, delicious, and—if we’re being honest—one of the best excuses to wander the woods with a shotgun or rimfire rifle pretending you totally meant to miss that last one. I’ve chased rabbits with everything from scatterguns to .22s, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: rabbit hunting is simple, but doing it well is an art form… usually learned the hard way.
Why Rabbit Hunting Still Matters
From an SEO standpoint (and a real-life one), rabbit hunting with shotguns and rimfire rifles is popular because it’s beginner-friendly and endlessly entertaining. Rabbits live almost everywhere, seasons are generous, and success doesn’t require a second mortgage’s worth of gear. Plus, nothing builds humility faster than getting outsmarted by something that weighs five pounds and lives in a brush pile.
Rabbit hunting also sharpens fundamentals - safe gun handling, quick target acquisition, and patience. Think of it as training camp, but with better snacks afterward.
And did I mention the best reason in the world to rabbit hunt? It gives you a terrific excuse to get a beagle! I shouldn’t need to tell you that owning a beagle is a good idea. After all, a beagle is a fantastic dog to have, especially if you have kids. Beagles are awesome and that’s all there is to say.
Go ahead and say no to getting a beagle puppy. Yeah, I can't do it either.
Shotguns: The Classic Bunny Buster
If you’re hunting thick cover, nothing beats a shotgun. Rabbits explode from brush piles like furry missiles, and a scattergun gives you a fighting chance when they zig instead of zag (which is always).
For most hunters, a 20-gauge or .410 is perfect. They’re lighter, swing fast, and don’t punish your shoulder - important when you’re walking all day and shooting at targets that appear for roughly 0.7 seconds. Improved Cylinder or Modified chokes are ideal, paired with light field loads. This isn’t waterfowl season; you don’t need to rearrange the landscape.
The BANISH 410 is perfect for rabbit hunting. It will protect your ears and the ears of your beagle. See what I did there? I already knew you were going to get a beagle and now you need a suppressor to protect your dog's hearing, too, because you're a good person! Photo by Ryan Grant.
Shotguns shine when hunting with friends, dogs, or when pushing cover. They’re forgiving, effective, and incredibly fun. Misses happen, but at least they don’t have to happen loudly. Why is that you ask? Because there are some sweet shotgun suppressors available now that really do a great job taming down the blast of a shotgun. There are even models for the 20-gauge and ,410 bore!
Rimfire rifles - especially the .22 LR - turn rabbit hunting into a thinking person’s game. Instead of chaos, it’s about stealth, positioning, and waiting for that perfect shot when a rabbit pauses to pretend it’s invisible.
Rimfires are ideal for open woods, field edges, and snowy conditions where you can spot rabbits sitting tight. Shot placement matters more here, but the payoff is clean, quiet success and less meat damage. Plus, rimfire ammo is affordable, making practice (and misses) easier to swallow.
The downside? You’ll watch plenty of rabbits escape while you’re lining up that “perfect” shot. They will absolutely sense your confidence and leave out of spite.
The honest answer: both. Shotguns dominate thick cover and fast action. Rimfires excel in open terrain and slower-paced hunts. Many seasoned hunters carry both, switching based on conditions—or personal pride after missing three easy shotgun shots in a row.
Rabbit Hunting Tips (Learned the Hard Way)
Hunt early morning or late afternoon - rabbits love bad timing
Focus on edges: brush meets grass, woods meet fields
Move slow. Rabbits count on you rushing
Dress for walking, not posing for photos
Always know what’s beyond your target—especially with rimfires
Make sure you take water for the beagle! (and for you, too)
Run, rabbit, run
Rabbit hunting with shotguns and rimfire rifles is about fun, fundamentals, and a freezer that doesn’t fill itself. It’s social, challenging, and occasionally humbling - sometimes all at the same time. Whether you’re blasting brush with a shotgun or threading a rimfire shot through the timber, rabbit hunting reminds us why we started hunting in the first place.
Also, it proves that no matter how experienced you are, a rabbit will always find a way to make you look bad - and that’s half the fun.
My wife also said I should point out that it helps get you out of the house during the winter months. Apparently I'm driving her a bit crazy. Wait until she sees the new beagle puppy I'm going to bring home!
Ready to own a silencer?
The simplest way to do it is to go to Silencer Central, find the one you want, fill out a few online forms, and buy it. Now you can self-certify, making the whole process faster and smoother. Your fingerprint card as well as a free t-shirt will ship to your home. You can track your progress through the online Customer Portal, too. It is that simple!
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
